RFID systems and their basic operating principles are well known. RFID systems employ fixed (stationary) RFID readers and/or portable RFID readers, both of which can be used to interrogate RFID tags associated with products, containers, or any items of interest. Although mobile RFID readers have been deployed, such mobile devices consume a substantial amount of power due to RFID radio operations.
The prior art is replete with various types of mobile devices that lack RFID interrogation capabilities. Such mobile devices include cellular telephones, netbook and laptop computers, digital media players, and the like. Many of these mobile devices have wireless data communication capabilities (e.g., wireless local area network compatibility, BLUETOOTH short range wireless data communication compatibility, cellular network access, etc.). In addition, some mobile devices are provided with native global positioning system technology, accelerometers, navigation technology, and a variety of useful software applications.
It would be convenient and useful to be able to use a common mobile device (such as a cellular telephone) as a “virtual” RFID reader, even though it lacks the native ability to communicate with RFID tags using the traditional RFID oven-the-air interface. In addition, it would be convenient to be able to use a common mobile device as a navigation or guidance instrument to find a particular RFID tag of interest. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.